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Castro twins stand up Texas Democrats for the 2018 election dance

Texas Democrat jilted by Julian and Joaquin Castro

Mayor Julian Castro of San Antonio, Texas, left, waves with his brother, Joaquin, who introduced him at the 2012 Democratic National Convention at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, Tuesday, September 4, 2012. (Harry E. Walker/MCT) 09052012xBRIEFING(Harry E. Walker / MCT)

The Castro twins were supposed to take long-suffering Democrats to the 2018 statewide election dance. Democrats hoped the rising stars would help turn Texas from red to purple. Instead, they were jilted.

Julian Castro, the former San Antonio mayor and housing secretary under President Barack Obama, was wishfully slotted against incumbent Republican Greg Abbott for governor. His twin brother, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, openly considered challenging former GOP presidential contender and incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Both Castros have opted against 2018 statewide campaigns, leaving Democrats to reassess their options. Their decisions reflect the state of Texas politics.

Democrats haven't won a statewide contest since 1994, and they took a step backward in the 2014 governor's race, when Abbott trounced former state Sen. Wendy Davis by 20 percentage points.

Their wounds were healed in part by the hope that Julian Castro was waiting in the wings. He had been a popular big-city mayor, gave the keynote speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and was a high-profile member of Obama's administration.

But after he left his administration post, Julian Castro gave no indication that he would return to Texas to challenge Abbott. Now Democrats don't have a major candidate for governor.

For his part, Joaquin Castro talked openly about making a run against Cruz.

Most Democrats were pining away for Castro until his colleague in the House, Beto O'Rourke of El Paso, started his campaign for Senate. He did so even though Castro had yet to make a final decision about his own future.

Then on Monday, Castro did what many of his fans feared: He dropped from the Senate scenario, telling supporters that he's best positioned to help Texans from his perch in the House.

That brought a mocking response from Republicans, who for more than a year have listened to the hype about a potential Castro candidacy. Katie Martin, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, dubbed a challenge against Cruz a "career-ending move."

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For Democrats, not having the Castros on the ballot delays a critical component needed to energize the state's Hispanic electorate. The Democratic Party's resurgence is tied to getting more Hispanic voters to the polls. That's more likely to occur when the party can produce a big-name Hispanic candidate with energy and fresh ideas.

The Castro brothers are careful about their political moves, and most of the electoral contests they have entered were carefully calculated to minimize the chances of defeat.

In contrast, O'Rourke put a term limit on his career in the House and isn't as worried about suffering a crushing defeat by Cruz. Not fearing a career-threatening loss can liberate a candidate. O' Rourke is drawing big crowds and has the ability to fire up parts of the Democratic base.

He also hopes to exploit the unpopularity of President Donald Trump to drive Democratic voters to the polls. Even in defeat, O'Rourke's candidacy could help Democrats build toward the future. That's a role the Castros are unwilling to play.

The biggest victories in politics result from high-risk, high-reward campaigns.

Obama went for the gold in the 2008 primary against heavily favored Hillary Clinton. He won and went on to become the nation's first black president. Cruz was at around 2 percent in the polls in the early days of his Senate primary campaign against Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. He won and later became the runner-up in the 2016 Republican presidential race.

Obama and national Democrats sought to give the Castros a boost, knowing the importance of making Texas competitive and cultivating the Hispanic electorate. Now it's up to them to make it happen.

Gromer Jeffers Jr., political writer. The Howard University graduate and Chicago native has covered four presidential campaigns and written extensively about local, state and national politics. Before The News, he was a reporter at The Kansas City Star and The Chicago Defender. You can catch Gromer every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on NBC 5's Lone Star Politics.